Balsamic Baked Apples

I love balsamic with cherries, and balsamic with strawberries, so why not apples? This is a sort of deconstructed apple pie that gives the tartness of apples a little punch with some acidic, earthy yet sweet balsamic vinegar. This all came about because I am participating in Taste and Create a wonderful food blogger exchange hosted by For the Love of Food. It is something like the food blogger

Orange Fig Buttermilk Bran Muffins

One of the things I love about bran muffins is that they are so choke-full of good things it almost seems disingenuous to call them "muffins." These muffins have a rustic, hearty taste that is a far cry from the sugary, buttery, over-sized muffins being pimped to us from every coffee counter. On the other hand, this version of my bran muffins has a subtle orange that plays off the chopped figs

Jane's Restaurant: Adorable Decor, Mediocre Food

Jane's Restaurant1655 W Cortland StChicago, IL 60622(773) 862-5263Jane's Restaurant offers an intriguing decor that is both urban and cozy, making it a great place to take a date. This is a particularly good brunch spot if you like sweet brunches, with the banana bread French toast the star of the brunch menu. They make an effort to offer healthier brunch options and they keep the Intelligensia

How To Host a Wine Tasting Party

I am a big fan of tasting parties. At the wine tasting party we hosted recently, I caught myself standing at the island in our kitchen just smiling and taking in the scene of our living room filled with people we love. The sound of that many people having fun is the greatest blessing on any home.The world is too full of people telling you what you should like, giving you intimidating rating

Lemon Tart for LiveSTRONG: A Taste of Yellow

Finding out my mother had cancer was an experience that forever changed my life. Today, as we gratefully count off the years of her survivorship, our always close relationship has grown even closer. Now, I am filled with thankfulness, but I can still remember what it was like to first find out. For the first time in my life I understood what it meant to say that you literally could not stand up.

"Proper" Chili: Shh, there's turkey and veg in it!

If you are someplace cold and dreary, chances are that tasty bowl just got your attention. But it might surprise you to know that meaty bowl of chili is actually quite good for you. In general I am not a fan of "sneaking" things into food. I might even go so far as to say I am categorically opposed to it. But now that I have been so unequivocal about my objections to trying to sneak healthy bits

The Flavor Saver: Solving the Homemade Stock Problem

No, it's not a moustache. Many recipes, like my Pho soup, call for broth or stock. And in almost every cookbook you are likely to see a little note reminding you that home-made broth or stock is always superior to purchased broths or bullion. So I won't beat you over the head with that one again. I myself like to make it at home so I can control the flavors and make my own perfect balance of

Vietnamese Pho Soup

Skip to recipe.Skip to nutritional information.In our household, we are on the constant hunt for foods that are delicious and healthy. If it is also easy to prepare, then it is more or less the perfect food. Such "trifectas" of taste, health and ease are likely to make it into frequent rotation in our home. This healthy and super flavorful broth-based soup has recently become one of our favorite

Five-Spice Sesame Crusted Pork Chops with Asparagus a l'Orange

I recently discovered that the fun thing about having your friends randomly stock your kitchen is that it simulates a sort of Iron Chef competition: what delicious food can I make by combining what is on hand? Inspired by what we found, this afternoon for lunch my husband and I put together five-spice sesame crusted pork chops with asparagus in spicy orange sauce on the side. Not only was this a